TURKEY – Although, the international media is now turning a blind eye, the citizens of Turkey are still on the streets, protesting against the oppression of freedom and demanding the human rights not to be abused anymore by the totalitarian Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP rule. On the other hand the government keeps pushing the oppression to new heights.

Yesterday (13 July 2013) there were demonstrations from Istanbul to Antakya all over Turkey. Last night police have fired water cannons and tear gas to the several thousand protesters gathered on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue to protest a midnight bill adopted this week by the Parliament which curbed the supervision of the Chamber of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) in all urban projects, giving full authority to the Environment and Urban Planning Ministry. Some shop owners also threateningly attacked with batons reporters an protesters chased the protesters into the side streets by the police. CONTINUE READING

TURKEY – A report by the Children on the Agenda – Gündem Çocuk – Association covered violations of children’s rights between May 28 and June 25. According to the report almost 300 children were taken into custody and at least one child was wounded by a bullet during CONTINUE READING

TURKEY – Yesterday (25. 06. 2013) thousands of people gathered in Taksim Square, Istanbul to protest the release of police officer Ahmet Ş. who was accused of killing Ethem Sarısülük during demonstrations in Kızılay, Ankara. The decision of 13th Ankara Magistrates’ Court is latest proof of the double standard in corrupt judiciary system in Turkey. It is also a good example for the reasons why people of Turkey are on streets, marching against their government.

The police did everything they could to make it hard for the citizens to reach Taksim Square. They blocked all roads potentially leading to the area, checking the passengers of private cars at checkpoints. Journalists were extensively searched by the officers despite showing their official press cards granted by the Prime Ministry’s Press and Information Office. Metro and funicular access to the square was also canceled. The demonstration was only allowed under a heavy riot police cordon. CONTINUE READING

TURKEY – Police officer Ahmet S. who was accused of killing Ethem Sarısülük has been released by 13th Ankara Magistrates’ Court.

Veli Dalgalı, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation against Ahmet Ş., summoned him for interrogation on June 24, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

Dalgalı then sent the police officer to court demanding his arrest. However, the court, following another interrogation, released the suspect pending trial, arguing that he remained “within the limits of self-defense.” CONTINUE READING

TURKEY – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says ‘in a democracy decisions are made by voting at the time of elections. I and my party were elected with nearly %50 of the votes so we have a right to govern the country the way we like. If you have objections there is always a next election’. And this mentality is the core of issues.

Currently Turkey has an electorate of 46 million and 76 million people live in the country. In 2011 elections Tayyip Erdoğan/AKP got 21 million votes and the rest were shared by many different parties. This algorithm made AKP government, one of the most popular and powerful in the history of Turkish Republic. But what does popularity mean if leading party do not listen and understand the whole population? What does power mean if leading party do not use it for the common good of people? What will happen to us – the other 55 million – who did not vote for AKP? Do we all shut up and just live like nobodies with no opinions till the next elections? Governments and PMs might be popular but this does not mean that the citizens cannot criticize their policies/actions. More importantly power and popularity do not grant the right to oppress and physically harm people just because they are speaking up and expressing their disagreement. CONTINUE READING